What PrepLounge Coaches are best for PEI?

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from McKinsey!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, when preparing for the McKinsey PEI, from my perspective, the coach should be someone who knows McKinsey’s evaluation criteria precisely, whether from long-term coaching experience or from actual experience as an interviewer.
• Moreover, please keep in mind that many McKinsey coaches (and coaches in general) have not been actively working in consulting long enough to actually conduct interviews - or simply have never done so. This could, for instance, be because they pursued a PhD or MBA program while still being officially employed.
• Lastly, I would advise you to conduct introductory calls with your favorites and properly pressure-test their knowledge. You want someone who challenges you but also gives you the tools to improve fast.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey (personal experience) interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there, 

Haha, I love your approach here. Getting the coaches to fight for you as a coachee. 

Honestly, any MBB coach who has done at least 10-20 interviews with their respective firm will likely be a great choice. Even better if they happened to do that specifically for McKinsey. Beyond that, what matters is just how you mesh with the coach and their style.

I've personally done over 100 interviews for McKinsey, so I'd likely be a great fit to assist you, but I'm definitely not the only one. Coach Florian would likely also be a fantastic choice btw - I read his article on Preplounge on preparing for the PEI section of the interview - it's very good. Check it out if you haven't already.

Hope you find the right coach for you!

Sincerely, 
Thor

I actually developed a course on the PEI, which is the only course of such kind available on PrepLounge. You can find it here:

• Video Course: Master the McKinsey PEI

As a consequence of this, I work with lots of candidates preparing them for the PEI (~300 over the past 3-4 years). 

If you have any specific questions about it or my process, feel free to reach out and I can explain it in more detail. 

Best,
Cristian

Hey there!

I mainly do PEI prep as a full-time coach, so I can help really focus on that. Definitely make sure to choose coaches who actually worked at McKinsey and don’t just claim they can help.

Best,
Alessa 

Hi there, 

I have a strong PEI track record. Happy to do an introduction call to explain my approach and why it is so successful

Hi there,

great that you’re preparing so thoroughly for your PEI. That’s definitely the right approach before your McKinsey interview!

To find the right coach, you can use the Coach Directory on PrepLounge and filter for ex-McKinsey coaches or for those who specialize in personal experience interviews. Take a look at the profiles and reviews from other candidates to get a good sense of who might fit your needs best.

Once you’ve shortlisted a few coaches, we recommend sending them a quick message to align on your expectations, availability, and coaching goals. Many coaches also offer an intro call to make sure it’s a good match before you book your first session.

Please note that not all coaches are active here in the Q&A, so browsing the directory is the best way to get in touch.

Good luck with your preparation and your upcoming interviews!
Charlotte - PrepLounge Team